Aircraft cockpit control panels are generally equipped with a number of control buttons, which may be manually actuated by pilots for the execution of one or more avionic functions. These control buttons are generally electro-mechanical control buttons, for example push-buttons incorporating switches, rotary potentiometer buttons or any other control device operating by the rotation of a button (rotary switches, encoders, etc.).
It is generally understood that the number of control buttons and the dimensions thereof impose constraints which must be taken into account by manufacturers of control panels.
Generally, control buttons assume a power switching function, and consequently become part of the power supply circuit of the components which they control.
Depending upon the type of components controlled, a control panel may be equipped with rotary buttons, which may assume a number of predetermined angular selection positions or may be of the continuous rotation type, or push-buttons. It is therefore necessary to include provisions for various types of rotary buttons or push-buttons, which must be permanently mounted on the control panel in the requisite configuration. Accordingly, it is not generally possible to replace one type of button, for example a push-button, with another type of button, for example a rotary button, in order to adapt, for example, to a specification which dictates a specific configuration for the control panel.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background and therefore it may contain information that does not form art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.